Fearless forecast for the Flyers' 2024-25 season

Fearless forecast for the Flyers’ 2024-25 season initially appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

There are many compelling parts to the Flyers’ 2024-25 season, which kicks off Friday night time in Vancouver, British Columbia.

It’s Year 3 of the John Tortorella era and Year 1 of the Matvei Michkov era. Does that translate right into a four-year playoff drought coming to an finish? Or are the Flyers nonetheless deeper of their rebuild?

“I believe we’ve loads of issues to do as we proceed to construct,” Tortorella said last week. “We’re nonetheless constructing. I simply do not get that far forward. It is simply hockey communicate, proper? ‘Yeah, we’re right here to win a Stanley Cup.’ I do not imagine in that. We’ve got a lot s— to do with our workforce earlier than we even begin speaking about that stuff.”

Earlier than the membership opens the season in opposition to the Canucks (10 p.m. ET/NBCSP), let’s get into our Flyers Fearless Forecast, that includes projections for the way the workforce will end and a random assortment of daring predictions from NBC Sports activities Philadelphia’s Brooke Destra, Joe Fordyce and Jordan Corridor.

Destra

Flyers prediction/Cup prediction

Prepared or not, playoff hockey makes its return to South Philly for the primary time since April 2018. Sure, the Flyers made the postseason within the 2020 bubble — but it surely wasn’t the identical. The drought will come to an finish and this new period of orange will see what it’s prefer to play in entrance of a thunderous sold-out crowd.

Even with the late falloff final season, the Flyers nonetheless ended the yr with 87 factors (38-33-11). This yr, they’ll break the 90-point barrier for the primary time since 2017-18 with 93 and safe a wild-card spot.

As soon as they’re in? Who is aware of. Something is feasible — however definitely don’t chalk them up as a first-round exit.

Is that this the season Connor McDavid can lastly verify Stanley Cup champion off his to-do listing? He lastly had a style of enjoying for the Cup within the Remaining final season and 2024-25 is the yr he lastly leads the Oilers to the promised land.
In a six-game collection, Edmonton will knock off the Rangers to hoist the Cup for the primary time since 1990.

New {hardware} in Philly

It’s laborious to imagine that via the 56 years of this group, not a single participant has taken dwelling the Calder Memorial Trophy. That modifications in 2024-25.

The most important storyline of the season isn’t any secret — Michkov. The 19-year-old’s first season within the NHL is coming years earlier than anybody had ever anticipated. There have been many cases over the previous decade-plus for this Flyers membership the place expectations — if there have been ever any set within the first place — fell brief. Michkov is about to interrupt that cycle by busting the door down in his rookie marketing campaign.

It received’t be a simple rookie class to do it in opposition to, both. Folks can have eyes on the Geese’ Cutter Gauthier and the Sharks’ Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith, amongst others. Will probably be a enjoyable, further ingredient to maintain tabs on all through the season, that’s for certain.

Out of the basement

I’m going to chalk this one as much as constructive manifestations and wishful considering … however this season, one thing has to present. The facility play has been abysmal, averaging final within the league via the final six seasons. It has been as dangerous as you may get.

That is the season that modifications. Now, don’t anticipate the Flyers to skyrocket to high three — however realistically, they need to discover a dwelling in the midst of the pack. I firmly imagine that if the Flyers even scored a dozen extra energy play targets final season, it might’ve swayed their probabilities for the playoffs.

This yr, followers received’t be dreading each time they go to a person benefit — however will likely be optimistic. It’ll be a pleasant (and wanted) change of tempo.

Fordyce

Flyers prediction/Cup prediction

Whereas this Flyers season is bound to supply pleasure with Michkov’s arrival, we can not view the Flyers’ rebuild and steps ahead in a vacuum. With that mentioned, I believe the Flyers will simply miss the playoffs with a profitable report, however the East, as at all times, is stuffed with good groups and I don’t assume the Flyers are fairly there but.

The Flyers’ goaltending is a significant query mark. Samuel Ersson is getting into his first season because the beginning goaltender. What number of video games will he be requested to begin? No person is aware of, however will probably be rather a lot. Ivan Fedotov, thus far, is an unknown commodity with restricted NHL expertise (one profession begin).

It is a totally different NHL from the times the place Martin Brodeur would begin virtually each sport. You want two goaltenders and there’s no higher proof of that than final yr’s playoffs.

Stanley Cup prediction: Stars over Rangers.

Feelin’ 40

My No. 1 daring prediction for the Flyers is that Travis Konecny will lastly attain and surpass the 40-goal plateau in a season. At totally different factors over the last two seasons, Konecny was on tempo to attain 40-plus targets. Harm and scoring droughts brought about him to fall wanting the mark.

With the two-time All-Star’s offseason contract extension and his new management function on this workforce, I imagine Konecny, to some extent, will take possession of this workforce and have his finest season on report.

There goes that Cam

My second daring prediction is that this would be the season that Cam York emerges as not solely a legit first-pair defenseman, but in addition the PP1 quarterback on the level. There’s a cause York was a excessive first-round decide and I believe this would be the yr that he reveals it from the start of the season.

Corridor

Flyers prediction/Cup prediction

The rebuilding Flyers made a 12-point soar from Yr 1 to Yr 2 beneath Tortorella, missing the playoffs on the final day of the regular season after losing nine of their last 11 games.

The top coach now has a dynamic piece added to his roster and is getting into Yr 3, a season in which he historically does very well with his teams.

• Third full season with Lightning in 2003-04: 106 factors, Stanley Cup champions

• Third full season with Rangers in 2011-12: 109 factors, Japanese Convention Remaining look

• Third full season with Blue Jackets in 2018-19: 98 factors, superior to second spherical

Couple Tortorella’s monitor report in Yr 3 with Michkov’s expedited arrival and the Flyers will make the playoffs for the primary time for the reason that 2020 bubble. Via coaching camp and the preseason, the uber-talented winger was higher than marketed, even exceeding Danny Briere’s expectations. In a manner, Michkov is sort of a vital free-agent addition.

The Flyers are set to have 12 gamers 25 years outdated or youthful of their season-opening lineup. There’s lots of familiarity from final season, with a lot of the workforce’s youth now understanding what it is prefer to play in a postseason race.

“I believe it is an enormous leg up,” Flyers assistant coach Brad Shaw mentioned per week and a half in the past. “I believe the extent of success that this core group had final yr, definitely via the primary 65, 70 video games, additionally offers us a leg up confidence-wise. We sort of have a blueprint for the way it’s carried out.”

In 2023-24, the Flyers completed with 87 factors at 38-33-11. A practical enchancment can be 92 factors at 42-32-8. That ought to get them within the dance as a wild-card workforce with a tricky first-round matchup and exit.

As for the Stanley Cup, the Maple Leafs will break via and win their first championship since 1967. Craig Berube will get his second ring as a head coach, main Toronto previous the Stars in seven video games.

Fara-breakout

Nonetheless solely 24 years outdated and getting higher, Joel Farabee is poised for a giant season.

He has gone beneath the radar with loads of consideration directed towards the opposite younger forwards. However he’ll have extra all-situation accountability in 2024-25 and some extra motivation, too.

For instance 25 targets and 60 factors for Farabee, who comes into the season with a 174-game ironman streak.

Energy strikes

Powerful to inform the place issues go for the Flyers’ energy play. Assistant coach Rocky Thompson has put in a ton of effort in attempting to treatment the woes. Over the offseason, he made “an enormous presentation” with statistical evaluation because the Flyers held an all-hands-on-deck assembly to dissect the person benefit.

The Flyers have been plagued final season by their league-worst energy play (12.2 p.c). And it is necessary to notice the issues on the man advantage preceded Thompson, who’s getting into his third season overseeing the models. In 2021-22, the season previous to his arrival, the Flyers had an NHL-worst 12.6 energy play proportion.

“It can’t be as dangerous because it was this yr with the folks we had,” Tortorella said after last season in April. “So we’ve to have a look at ourselves with this right here.”

If the Flyers do not see a lot enchancment on the person benefit, particularly with the arrival of Michkov and a wholesome Jamie Drysdale, you need to marvel what they’re going to attempt subsequent for solutions.

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